Hope Stems

This project was a labor of love from the start. With a shoestring budget and a lot of heart for the messaging, I assembled a masterful team of artisans to transform the vision into reality.

The interactive installation popped up in the heart of New York City (thanks to a few friends in the permitting department) with the goal of shifting cultural perception—reinforcing that opioid addiction is a disease, not a moral failing. We designed and executed an oversized, anatomically accurate floral “brain” composed of 9,000 pale pink live carnations representing a healthy brain. The black paper poppies symbolized opioids. Each day, additional black poppies were added to visually demonstrate how opioids overtake the brain. On the final day, the public was invited to remove the black poppies, representing their role in helping reduce the stigma surrounding addiction.